European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 14, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday april 142007 stars and stripes Page 19 faces Sittin pretty Halle Berrys Academy award has made All the difference by Steven Rea the Philadelphia inquirer Philadelphia theres a big bold demarcation line running through Halle Ber Rys life before Oscar and after Oscar there was a time before Oscar when i could not have even got in the room with certain directors says the actress who won her Academy award in 2002 for the Southern Fried monsters Ball in which she played a death Row inmates wife who Falls into an affair with the prison Billy Bob executed him Snowberry can get in the room and More often than not leave with the part in perfect stranger a dark Tricky thriller she gets her name above the title with Bruce Willis As a tabloid reporter look ing to expose an advertising tycoons adulterous and quite possibly murderous ways she followed the very Hollywood perfect stranger with the very indie things we lost in the fire an intense charac Ter study slated for lat year release and co starring Benicio Del Toro the project hails from Susanne Bier the danish director nominated this year for an Oscar for after the wedding the actress is a passionate fan of Biers emotionally raw Brothers and open hearts the Berry collaboration Marks Biers englishman Guage debut i fought really hard to be in that movie and work with her says Berry dressed in trim pinstripes holding Forth at the four seasons hotel recently i was determined to have that experience and it was every thing i thought it would be it want that Berry was hurting for work Back in those pre Oscar Days the first men in which Shes suited up As the meteor logically powered mutant storm had come out Warren Beatty had cast her in his Brash political satire bul Worth and Berry gained gobs of notice and a hefty Bonus for flashing her breasts in the crime caper swordfish but the onetime miss Usa and miss world contestant a striking woman of Afri can american and English heritage her fathers Black her mothers was like so Many Hollywood beauties not really Peter Tobia Philadelphia actress Halle Berry says winning an Oscar opened the doors to More diverse roles taken seriously the great thing the Oscar does for me is it allows me the right to be in the room and have a meeting and make my Case says Berry who keeps Homes inner York and Malibu and continues her gig As a Revlon spoke Star As Long As i can do that then i feel like All is Good in the world because the filmmaker absolutely has the right to say Toto Halle is All wrong but knowing that i have a shot at it if s All that i Ever asked for and i get that these Days although Berry at 40 is one of the few stars out there who Doest want to direct her ambition has led her to take control of the films she appears in and ones Shes interested in seeing even if there int a part for her under her production company Banner Bellah films Halle b backwards she explains Berry is developing Tulia based on the real life events surrounding the wrongful arrest of 46 Blacks in a Texas drug sting class act another  about Tierney Ca Hill the Nevada schoolteacher whose sixth Grade students helped her run for Congress and Nefertiti a big budget epic about the 14thcentury by egyptian Queen her monsters Ball director Marc Forster will steer her through that one Berrys also overseeing a project for Singer Alicia Keyes and a to series for life time called mixed although she wont appear in the latter if s a subject rooted in her own experience about growing up mixed race she says i think if s timely right now were All sort of becoming More tolerant of each other it feels Nice with this new generation there not having some of the issues that i know i had when i grew up and that my parents had Berrys experience with racism in schools in jobs in Hollywood has pre pared her she says for another ism age ism Berrys at a Point in her life where Stu Dio execs Start looking elsewhere As in younger for their Talent even with an Oscar some parts might be harder to come by in future years i started in this business 20 years ago and Ive always had to struggle being a woman of color she says so the fact that i might have to do that because in getting older will feel like normalcy to me i will continue on As Ive been for the first 20 years of my career fighting to get a Good part for a woman like me i know what that fight is All about and it Doest scare me at All ill started in this business 20 years ago and Ive always had to struggle being a woman of color so the fact that i might have to do that because in getting older will feel like normalcy to Meh Locklear officially split from Rocker no 2 Heather Locklear and Richie Sambora Are officially divorced the pairs split was finalized wednesday in documents filed in Superior court actress Locklear 45 filed for divorce from Bon Jovi guitarist Sambora 47 in february 2006 after 11 years of marriage she cited irreconcilable differences custody of the pairs daughter Ava visitation rights and spousal support will be ordered in a pro posed judgment according to the divorce papers the judgment is being kept private Locklear was previously mar ried to Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee America Ferrera says Shes no Hollywood Waif she May drop a few pounds Here and there but ugly Betty Star America Ferrera says Shell never become a Hollywood Waif there Are times when i go to the gym and really try and there Are times when i just dont the actress who turns 23 on wednes Day tells w Magazine in its May Issue i gain a Pound i lose a Pound but i think Ive developed a really Good sense of when in doing something for myself As opposed to when in doing some thing because of other Peoples expectations of me and Hon Estly even if i wanted to be anorexic i just dont have what it takes she continues after four hours of being anorexic id be Ferrera like if s been four whole hours feed me Ferrera is on the Rise she won Golden Globe and screen actors Guild awards this year for her role As awkward assistant Betty Suarez on ugly Betty and has appeared on a Host of Magazine covers will Ferre gets in swim with us team now that will Ferrell has ice skating Down Hes hitting the Pool Ferrell Star of the recently re leased comedy Blades of glory will join University of Southern California football coach Pete Carroll and the team in a fundraiser saturday at the Mcdonalds swim stadium on Campus following their final Spring practice at adjacent Howard Jones Field the trojans will swim a Posi Tiona Sposi Tion relay race joined by the us song girls Carroll and Ferrell will take part in a Pete is will Chal Lenge As Ferrell Well stories and photos from the associated press